Czech-Made L-159 Up For Grabs: Iraq Express Interest

The Iraqi Defence Ministry has expressed interest in the L-159 subsonic jet fighters made by the Czech Republic. The announcement came on January 23 after Czech Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra held talks with his Iraqi Counterpart in Prague. Vondra said the Czech side was offering new fighters made by Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody, as well as 36 unused L-159s which the defence ministry has been trying to sell for years. However, he refused to share any other details regarding the price of the planes which are facing competition from Britain's Hawk and South Korea's TA-50. Iraq's acting Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi said that Iraq was "really very interested in the planes" which it wants as soon as possible. Aero Vodochody, controlled by Czech-Slovak private equity group Penta, is the largest Czech aircraft producer and a sub-contractor for manufacturers including Sikorsky, Saab and EADS.